Favoritism doesn’t go over well at Cambridge University, even if you are the future king of Britain.

The school newspaper and a Cambridge alum have pounced on Prince William’s substandard grades in criticizing the university for granting him admission, E!Online reported. Kensington Palace announced Dec. 30 that Prince William would enroll in a 10-week course in agricultural management designed to help him “provide the Duke with an understanding of contemporary issues affecting agricultural business and rural communities in the United Kingdom.”

Brits should take heart — in the good ol’ U.S. of A., colleges give the royal treatment to top jocks. At least in England, that distinction is reserved for real royalty.

Recent graduate Melissa Berrill was the first disgruntled voice heard via The Guardian. “I can no longer insist that ‘it’s not like the old days any more,’ because the heir to the throne is about to be let in for no other reason than who his father is,” she wrote, later adding, “It’s an insult to every student whose A-levels and degree are the same or better than his, and who didn’t get a free pass to Cambridge in spite of them. And it’s an insult to everyone in the country who needs skills or training, and hasn’t had a university course personally designed for them.”

She has a point — and yet she has overlooked the fact that he is the Duke of Cambridge.

The school’s newspaper, The Tab, was a tad more accommodating.

“The Tab must point out that normally students need A*AA at A-level to gain entry to Cambridge University, whilst the Prince only achieved a mediocre ABC,” Will Heilpern wrote in an article. “Conveniently though for Will, he is the registered benefactor of the department he will be studying at.”

And The Tab plans to take full advantage of their future famous classmate. The newspaper says it will run a #WheresWills liveblog during Prince William’s term and is offering a free T-shirt for the funniest photo of the prince.

Ann Tatko-Peterson is the digital content strategist for the Bay Area News Group, where she has traded in a lifetime of writing for a newfound love of numbers. Since 2000, she has worked for the Bay Area News Group as a sports writer, features writer, travel editor and digital features editor.

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